A Perversely Interesting Story of a Murderer [a Review]

Based on the bestselling novel by Patrick Suskind, “Perfume” is a story of murder and obsession set in 18th-century France. Jean-Baptiste Grenouille has a unique talent for discerning the scents and smells around him, which he uses to create the world’s finest perfumes. Strangely lacking any scent of his own, he becomes obsessed with capturing the irresistible but elusive aroma of young womanhood. As Grenouille’s obsession turns deadly, twelve young girls are found murdered. Panic breaks out as people rush to protect their daughters, while an unrepentant and unrelenting Grenouille still lacks the final ingredient to complete his quest.
I was surprised finding that one of my favourite stories was displayed there. I touched the movie, overreactingly ran into my brother and yelled, “I took this!” that movie is PERFUME. Filmed from the book I read a year ago, “Perfume” was starred by Ben Whishaw, Alan Rickman [the one who represented Severus Snape], Rachel Hurd-Wood, and Dustin Hoffman. So, here’s the review. Wish you wouldn’t be disappointed of reading another review of mine…

Shouldn’t have I believed that France could be portrayed so gloom in the 18th-century (thanks to Tom Tkywer, the director) if I didn’t find this film. The movie began with a fabulous [in such a way] picture of a market at France. Fulfilled by people with awful look, the market has its own way to amaze me.

There, by the fish-seller Mother, Grenouille was given a life. Simply, his Mother bore him near garbages around. His Mother, calmly, stood up and continued her work-selling fish. As Grenouille tasted his first seconds by smelling everything around him, he screamed. So loudly that everyone there stopped their activities in order to look where the sound came from. In panic, his Mother ran away, and people chased her. That was the first time Grenouille proved his bad luck by putting anyone around him to be in danger. His Mother’s life ended up by a sentence because of her willing to kill baby-Grenouille.

Then, Grenouille was put in an orphan house. Where he was teased and bullied by the kids who were curious of him. They hated Grenouille since the first time they had eye contact with this special baby. Soon as he grew up, Grenouille learned to talk at the age of five. Reaching 18, Madam something [forgot her name, sorry] sold him to a big fat man. After receiving the money, this Madam something was robbed [the second time Grenouille caused someone died].

Grenouille worked hard and this big fat man was pleased by him. Soon, he put more trust on him and took him to the town. Here, when Grenouille brought the goods with Mr Big Fat Man, he found so many smells, differenty with each other. He even stood in front of a perfume shop and freshened by the scents. As he watched all perfumes inside the shop seriously, his nose found something much more interesting.

He walked and kept following the scent. Then he figured out that the scent came out from a young lady. Grenouille’s curiousity of this scent frightened the lady. She yelled and ran off. Grenouille, didn’t even know why the lady was afraid, followed her. Counting on his nose, Grenouille found the lady sat alone. What he knew was just he wanted to have the scent of the lady. So he walked silently toward her. She was shocked and tried to scream out for help. That was Grenouille’s first murder, unsatisfied because the scent of the young lady faded out soon after she died.

Shortly saying, questioning of how he could keep the scent of young ladies forever, it brought Grenouille to an old perfume-maker, Baldini. Grenouille tried to impress Baldini in his laboratory when he was assigned to bring Baldini’s order. Baldini was not given a thought of why a dirty young man, who could not even measure the liquids, could produce a fabulous perfume. He was satisfied by that and and bought Grenouille from Mr Big Fat Man. Again, the bad luck of Grenouille brought the Mr. Big Fat Man kissing the death.

Grenouille became the asset for Baldini, making his shop achieved the fame he’d said goodbye to. But Grenouille was still being curious of how to keep the scents. What Baldini had taught him didn’t satisfy Grenouille. So he paid off himself by making the stocks of perfume which could make Baldini rich until the rest of his life. Grenouille sailed away from Baldini’s shop, leaving the old man got part of his bad luck. Baldini died in his shop, only after he felt safe at last by his wealth.

Grenouille’s obsession brought him to a town where he continued his murders to several young ladies. Those murders were done in such beautiful way that he was still being freely for looking up more victims. This part was not too interesting anymore, so I just skipped it into the success of Grenouille’s project-making the finest perfume-by adding the final scent from the daughter [Racher Hurd Wood] of someone’s important in the city [Alan Rickman].

On the day of his death sentence, Grenouille put some drops of own-made perfume. The effect was magical. All people forgot the reason why he was put in the death sentence. They, magically, adored him. Soon after Grenouille spread more perfume in the air, the people forgot everything. They suddenly made love by each other, with anyone who stood closest by them. They no longer care about class or status. They madly had sexual intercourse.

Grenouille was free. He, then, decided to end his life by dropping more perfume in front of hungry low-class people. They, MAGICALLY, came toward him and ate Grenouille.

“sometimes, if you really wish for something, it would fly to your dream, giving you some kind of satisfaction and dissatisfaction both, and left you awake and confused”